While you can definitely grow cherry laurel from seeds or layering, using cuttings is one of the easiest ways to get new plants for your garden. If you’re looking to expand your hedge without spending a fortune at the nursery, here’s my go-to guide on how to take cuttings and get them to thrive.
How to Take Cherry Laurel Cuttings
Technically, you can take cuttings from a cherry laurel almost any time of year. However, since you’re likely already giving your shrubs a trim in the spring, that’s the perfect time to gather your supplies. You’ll have plenty of material to work with anyway!
Here’s what you need to keep in mind:
- Aim for a branch that’s about 6 inches long.
- Strip off most of the leaves, leaving just a few at the very top.
- Trim those remaining top leaves in half.
To get your cutting ready for planting, you’ll need to do a little “prep work.” Clear all the leaves off the bottom half of the stem—this is the part that will go into the soil. For the few leaves left at the top, take your shears and snip them right across the middle. It might look a little funny, but reducing the leaf surface area helps prevent the plant from losing too much moisture through evaporation while it’s trying to grow roots.
Caring for Your Cherry Laurel Cuttings
Once your cuttings are prepped, grab a pot and fill it with a mix of potting soil and sand. Stick the cuttings about halfway into the substrate. Keep the soil consistently moist and find a nice, warm spot for the pot to sit. If all goes well, you should see roots starting to form in about one to two months.
Just a heads-up: watch out for standing water! You want damp soil, not a swamp, or the delicate new roots might rot. Once the cuttings have established a solid root system, you can move them to a bigger pot or plant them directly in the garden. If you put them in the ground, just remember that “baby” cherry laurels are a bit sensitive. Make sure to protect them from heavy frost during their first winter so they don’t get damaged before they’ve had a chance to toughen up.
